Lisburn man wins big at transplant games after donating kidney to stranger

“It was easy enough for me to make the decision to donate.”

A man from Northern Ireland has won big at the World Transplant Games just two years after donating a kidney to a stranger.

Sean Lavery from Lisburn won two gold, two silver, and a bronze medal at 25th World Transplant Games in Dresden, Germany. This year was the first time Northern Ireland competed as an independent team, winning 35 medals and placing 11th on the leaderboard.

The athletes taking part were 22 transplant athletes and five Living Donors, including Sean. Their participation in the games helps celebrate organ and tissue donation and the second chances they can bring.

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For his achievements, Sean won the Janet Coleman Spirit of the Games Award, which is awarded each year in memory of the former vice-chair of Transplant Sport NI who passed away in 2015.

Speaking to Belfast Live, the 40-year-old opened up on what sparked his organ donation journey. He donated a kidney to a stranegr in England on July 19, 2023.

Sean said: “I was giving blood in the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service headquarters and saw a leaflet about kidney donation.

“I didn’t think anything of it at the time. Then I saw something on TV about a lady in England who was on dialysis and they said something about Living Donors – I didn’t realise that was a thing.

“So I enquired about it and said I would put my name down. After that, it was just about doing tests to see if I was suitable. I kept myself healthy and on the right track.

“You go to a psychologist and one of the questions they ask is why you want to donate to a stranger. I couldn’t answer it right away, so I had to go away and think about it.

“But it was just because I gave blood and thought if I can help someone, I would. It’s hard to explain, but I was thinking I’m healthy and you don’t need two kidneys. It was easy enough for me to make the decision to donate.

“It’s such a helpful thing to do and the process is surprisingly painless. I was in the hospital on Tuesday night and home on the Friday, I couldn’t believe it.”

As for his time at the World Transplant Games, Sean said it was “unbelieveable.” He added: “There was such a buzz in the team. It’s brilliant to represent the charity Transplant Sprot Northern Ireland and just getting out there.

“I didn’t realise a lot of people who have either received or donated don’t know being active is cruical. We have the Transplant Football World Cup next year, so we start training in two weeks.”

To find out more about organ donation in Northern Ireland, click here. To find out more about Transplant Sport NI, click here.

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